Mute.



No. 632.407. Patented sept. 57 |899. L. GLAssER.

MUTE.

(Application led June 9, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWIG GLASSER, OF CLEAN, NEW YORK.

MUTE.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letter. Patent No. 882,407, datedSeptember 5, 1899.

Application filed J une 9,1399. Serial No. 719.948. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LUDWIG GLABSER, a citia 'zen of the United States,residing at Olean, in

the county of' Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a newand useful Mute, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lnutes for musical stringed instruments, andis particularly designed for use in connection with violins. The object'of the present invention is to provide a simple device which may bereadily fitted to the violin andis automaticallythrown into and out ofengagement with the bridge thereof, whereby the player is not requiredto operate the device by hand.

To these ends the present invention consists in the combination andarrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shownin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, it being understood that changes in the form,proportion, size,jand the minor details of construction may be -madewithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the violin, showingthe improved mute Fig. 2 is a detail perspective' Fig. 3 is a detaillongitu" dinal sectional view of the mute and a porfitted thereto. Viewof the mute.

tion of a violin, showing both the operative and inoperative positionsof the mute. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the holder. Fig. 5is a similar View of a modified form of holder.

Corresponding parts in the lseveral figures of the drawings aredesignated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, v'

tion of the device.

The mute consists, essentially,in a holder or support 3, a mute block orplate 4, pivoted or hinged to the holder, and an actuating-weightcarried by the mute-block and adapted tol swingl the latter upon itspivotal or hinged connection with the holder thereof.

The holder is best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings and comprisesupper and lower clamping members 3 and 13, respectively, the contiguousfaces of which are provided with strips of felt 14 or other sui-tablepacking material which will not injure the vstrings of the cla-mpmem-ber 3 are bent inwardly and down wardly, forming opposite hooks 15,embracing the opposite ends of the lower clamp me'mber 13. These membersare adj ustably connected together by means of a'thumb-screw 1'6, passing loosely through the upper member intermediate of its en'ds andengaging a suitable nut 17., fixed to the under side of the lower member13. Connected to the under face of the lower-clamp member is a pair ofopposite spring-arms 1-8, which are preferably formed from a singlelength of wire bent into substantially U shape, the bend thereof beingsoldered or otherwise secured to the said clamp member. The vlowerextremities of these arms are bent inwardly so as to form pivots 19,upon which the mute block or plate 4 is adapted to be mounted.

In fitting the holder to the violin the lower clamp member 13 is placedagainst the under side of the hitch portions of the strings of theinstrument and the upper member 3 is fitted over the upper sides of thestrings with the hooks 15 embracing the outer strings and the ends ofthe member 3, after which the thumbscrew 16 is engaged with the membersso as to clamp the same firmly upon the strings. The holder being thuspositioned the muteblock 4 is passed beneath the hitch portions of thestrings and in rear of the bridge 2, and then the pivots 19 of thesupporting-arms 18 are sprjung into suitable openings provided in theopposite edges of the mute-block and near the lower end thereof,wherebythe muteblock is pivoted to the holder and may be actuated by gravity tothrow the block into engagement with the rear side of the bridge.

To hold the mute normally out of engage ment with the bridge 2, `theweight 5 is provided -and is connected to the rear side of themute-block by means of a suitable connecting-arm 10, which engages theholder above instrument. AThe opposite ends of the upper IOC its pivotalconnection with the supportiugthe connectingarm 10 intermediate of thesides of the mute-block, so that said arm may work between the l) and Astrings of the violin.

The block is provided in its upper edge with suitable notches 11,corresponding to the number of strings of'thc instrument and they areadapted to receive said strings when the mute is thrown out ofengagement with the bridge, as shownin Fig. 3. A suitable covering 12,ofleather, felt, or the like, is itted to the front side of themute-block and is adapted to engage the bridge, whereby the mute-blockis cushioned upon the bridge and sympathetic vibrations of the block aredeadened or prevented.

A modified form of holder is shown in Fig. 5 and comprises a fiat strapA, bowed intermediate of its ends and having the latter bent inwardlyacross the upper face thereof, forming the hooked shoulders 6. Themute-block 4 is connected to the strap A by means of a pair of oppositearms 7, which are preferably formed from a single length of wire bentintermediate of its ends into substantially U shape, having thetransverse bent portion 8 soldered or otherwise connected to the upperface of the strap A and the opposite arms 7 being passed throughopenings provided in the strap, whereby the arms embrace the holder andare irmly connected thereto. The free extremities of the arms arebentinward, so as to form pivots 9, which are adapted lto be loosely andremovably fitted into suitable openings provided in the opposite sideedges of the mute-block and near the lower end thereof.

As best shown in Fig. 5, it will be seen that the holder is fitted tothehitch portions of the strings by passing the arms 7 astraddle of theD and A stringsand within the respective G and E strings, whereby thestrap A engages across the top of the D and E strings, and the oppositeends of the strap are engaged beneath the respective G and E strings,and the hooked shoulders 6 engage over the latter, whereby the holder isfirmly fitted in place. After the holder has been positioned asdescribed the mute-block 4- is passed beneath the hitch portion of thestrings and between the holder and the bridge 2, and then the pivots 9of the opposite arms 7 are sprung into engagement with the respectiveopenings provided in the opposite sides of the block, whereby the blockis pivoted at its lower end to the arms of the holder and is adapted, byreason of its own weight, to drop forward into engagement with the rearside of the bridge and beneath the strings of the violin.

In the operation of the device, the violin being in its normalhorizontal position, the mute-block is held out of engagement with 'thebridge by reason of the fact that the weight 5 is disposed in the rearof the vertical plane of the pivotal axis of the mute-block. Then it isdesired to bring the mute into operation, it is simply necessary tolower or depress the neck of the violin, whereby the weight 5 will dropforward and engage the front side of the mute-block with the rear sideof the bridge, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 3. In the normalposition of the mute the bases of the notches 11 are adapted to engageagainst the hitch portions of the strings of the violin,so as to preventthe muteblock from being thrown or tilted too far backward and also tohold the mute-blockin a substantially upright position, whereby a slightdepression of the neck end of the violin is adapted to throw the muteinto engagement with the bridge.

The present invention provides an exceedingly simple and practicaldevice which may be readily fitted to a violin, and may be thrown intoor out of operation automatically, whereby the player need not stopplaying to operat-e the mute. Furthermore, the parts of the device arefew in number and are connected together in a simple and substantialmanner, whereby the device is not liable to get out of order.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is l. A mute forstringed musicalinstruments, comprising a holder, a mute-block pivotedor hinged thereto, and actuated by gravity to throw the mute intooperation, substantially in the manner shown and described.

2. A mute, comprising a holder, a muteblock pivoted or hinged to theholder, and a weight connected to the mute-block and adapted to throwthe mute into operation by a movement of the instrument, substantiallyTOO holder and located below the hitch-strings and adapted to be throwninto engagement with the adjacent side of the bridge, the upper edge ofthe mute being provided with notches adapted to receive the strings,substantially as shown and described.

5. A mute for violins and other stringed musical instruments, comprisinga holder adapted to be fitted to the hitch-strings of the instrument, amute-block pendent from the holder and having a pivotal or hingedconnection therewith, an arm projecting upwardly and rearwardly from themute-block, and a weight carried at the upper end of said arm,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

G. In a mute for violins and like stringed musical instruments, thecombination with a holder comprising a pair of clamping members, one of.the members being provided with hooks at its opposite ends and embracingthe respective ends ofthe other member, a thumbscrew 'adj ustablyconnecting the clamping members, and opposite arms inclined forwardlyand downwardly from the holder, and provided at their lower ends withinwardlyextending pivots, a mute-block pivoted near its lower end to thepivots of the respective arms, and an actuating-weight carried by themute-block, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a mute for violins and like stringed musical instruments, thecombination with a holder comprising a pair of clamping members, one ofthe latter having its opposite ends bent into hooks which embrace therespective ends of the other clamp member, a thumbscrew adjustablyconnecting the clamping members, and opposite arms formed from a singlelength of wire bent into substantially U shape and connected to theunder side of the lower clamp member, the free ends of said arms bein gbent inward and forming pivots, of a mute-block mounted upon the pivotsof the said arms, and an actuating-weight carried by themute-block,substantially as shown and described.

8. In a mute for violins and like stringed musical instruments, thecombination with a mute-block, of a holder therefor having opposite armsembracing the mute block and adapt-ed to be sprung into pivotalengagement therewith, and an actuating-weight carried by the mute-block,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LUDIVIG GLASSER.

\\Titnesses:

J. II. THOMPSON, J. M. LARRIN.

